Ethnoecology and sustainable development

1. "The way in which the modern West represents nature is the least well-shared thing in the world" (Descola, 2005, p. 56). According to anthropologist Philippe Descola, the category of "Nature," as a reality separate from the human world, is an invention of Europeans that is only one of the possibilities available to societies to account for the living and non-living beings that surround them.

While Philippe Descola contributes to renewing questions about society-environment relations, he nevertheless draws on a long tradition in the humanities and social sciences. Numerous works already explore the various forms of knowledge and social organization to which these relations give rise: ethnoscience, anthropology of technology, economic anthropology, ethnoecology, sociology of science and technology, etc.

This issue is far from being confined to the academic sphere. It also attracts the interest of conservationists (biodiversity, natural resources, etc.) and industry (pharmacology). It also mobilizes so-called "indigenous" populations who are demanding, both locally and internationally, access to resources and the preservation of intangible heritage.

2. Located at the intersection of social sciences and life sciences, these disciplines analyze how human societies use plants, animals, and other components of the environment, but also how their conceptions and representations of their environment(s) guide these uses. This research also explores how human societies organize themselves, perpetuate themselves, change to adapt to new contexts (globalization, global changes), and transmit knowledge about their relationships with nature.

For a long time, these disciplines focused more specifically on the interrelationships between so-called "traditional" societies and their immediate environment. Subsequently, beginning in the 1970s, researchers reconsidered the distinction between so-called "traditional" and "modern" societies in order to better address new contemporary environmental and social transformations.

On the one hand, even the most isolated local communities are affected by events that are decided and take place at different levels (international conventions, economic crises). Their immediate environment is also affected by global phenomena (climate change, erosion of biodiversity, etc.). In turn, their actions can also have international ecological, social, and economic repercussions, for example when these societies organize to bring their demands to international arenas.

On the other hand, modern societies' relationship with their environment is being reconfigured in light of the fact that our planet is becoming increasingly "artificialized" and threatened by serious disruptions and crises. The place of fauna and flora is being reconsidered and is the subject of controversy regarding their rights. Furthermore, the dawn of a new geological era, the Anthropocene, is being invoked to challenge both the natural sciences and the humanities and social sciences on the need to take a different approach to the shared history of the environment and societies.

3. The work of scientists and engineers is being viewed in a new light. In this regard, a new scientific project in the humanities and social sciences aims to reconsider the role of "non-humans" and calls for the development of analytical categories other than those of Nature and Culture. New scales and methods of investigation are also being considered for analyzing global processes.

These recent changes in scale invite researchers in the humanities and social sciences to (re)consider their approach through a reflexive lens: they are no longer mere observers, but can also be active participants in processes, even when they are not directly involved in a social movement.

4. The objective of this module is to introduce these different scientific and operational fields. It aims to provide students with reference points and food for thought, enabling them to develop scientific questions on the relationship between society and the environment, with a view to reflecting on how to address current environmental and social issues. The varied geographical and disciplinary experiences of the speakers will illustrate the approach through a wide range of ecosystem types, sociocultural contexts, and themes. In the time available, we do not claim to cover all themes, approaches, and methods exhaustively. Any student wishing to study this field in greater depth will need to undertake more in-depth training.

Continuous assessment: 100%